Amid ongoing travel disruptions due to the US-Israel-Iran war, tourism sellers at ITB Berlin 2026 say stability in Asia-Pacific has become a strong selling point in tourism promotion.
Rob McIntyre, general manager of Pullman Singapore Orchard, emphasised that while he is “very conscious of not turning a crisis into an opportunity”, he sees a clear shift towards destinations perceived as reliable.
“In times of uncertainty, people want to go with something they trust,” McIntyre said. He compared the current situation to the post‑Covid era, noting that travellers gravitated towards countries recognised for their effective crisis management.
“Singapore’s tourism (excelled) in the aftermath of Covid because it was perceived as a country that had handled the situation very well.”
Michael Wu, CEO of MyAsiaTours, which is headquartered in Taiwan, told TTG Asia that despite occasional tensions between China and Taiwan, flare-ups have been limited to a war of words and economic progress remains a priority of both leaderships.
In an interesting turn of events, Wu said news reports on China-Taiwan tensions have raised international awareness of Taiwan, resulting in more traveller interest.
“Our German and French clients increased almost 20 per cent last year,” Wu said.
Prior to the escalating Middle East conflict, Wu said clients were already requesting direct routes from Europe to Asia, adding that China Airlines’s flights to and from Frankfurt were often “fully booked”.
Wu said destinations with low crime rates, like Japan and Taiwan, are also popular with international travellers.
Pema Tashi, general manager of Happiness Kingdom Travels, pointed to Bhutan as a powerful example of safety as a tourism advantage. He described Bhutan as “one of the safest places on Earth”.
Tashi said travel and transits in Asia-Pacific remains “quite favourable”, as the region is safe and “easy to move around”.
Andrea Koch of Exo Travel stated trusted DMCs are an important element in ensuring travellers’ safety. Essential support systems such as 24/7 customer care hotlines are necessary, especially in times of global instability.
“Most of our clients have private cars and private tour guides, and are fully escorted. I think Asia is very safe for family travellers and female travellers. Our agent partners feel quite safe in choosing Asia as a destination,” she added.
Sathia Moorthy, CEO of OOTO & Co., a Singapore-based event planner, said safety and stability are especially important for commercial events, and Asia-Pacific has been able to excel in this sector due to its positive reputation.
“Amid current global uncertainties, I believe Asia-Pacific will continue to stand out as a region of reliability and confidence for the business events industry,” he said.
While McIntyre is proud of Asia’s stability, he said the region “cannot take things for granted”.
“We’ve got to be aware that the world is constantly changing, and we’ve got to adapt to these changes,” he remarked.
